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City & Government


News

Virginia polls give Democrats clear lead

Democrats have taken a clear lead in Virginia’s two biggest national elections this year, according to two new polls that show President Barack Obama maintaining a slight edge against GOP nominee Mitt Romney while Tim Kaine gained a new advantage over George Allen in the U.S.


News

Mann, U.Va. triumph again in legal battle

Michael Mann, former University environmental science professor, will not have to give the American Tradition Institute access to his email correspondence and various other documents pertaining to his controversial climate change theory, the Prince William Circuit Court ruled this week. Should the ruling stand, it could set a precedent that researchers in public institutions do not have to disclose to the public proprietary documents relating to their research.


News

State extends clinic standards

In the latest in a continuing battle over abortion care in the commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Board of Health Friday approved measures 13-2 requiring Virginia’s 20 existing abortion clinics to either abide by the same architectural standards as hospitals or cease providing abortions. The board in June passed permanent regulations that closely resembled the emergency rules drafted by state officials after the General Assembly passed a bill last year tightening building standards for abortion clinics.


	Hundreds of Charlottesville residents gathered in Lee Park Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ communities. The city’s first ever gay pride festival was organized by Cville Pride, a community network that organizes events to promote equality in the area.
News

City holds first pride festival

The City of Charlottesville hosted its first ever gay pride festival Saturday afternoon in Lee Park to show support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities. The festival, which was held at the site of last year’s Occupy Charlottesville protests, drew hundreds of individuals and featured live entertainment, food from local vendors and activities for children.


News

Task force debates human rights commission creation

The Charlottesville Human Rights Task Force held its second open forum Thursday night to hear community members’ ideas about the possible creation of a more permanent commission to study discrimination within the City. City Council launched the task force in February in response to a request from the Dialogue on Race, a local group that advocates discussions on racism and diversity. The committee, if created, would investigate instances of bias or injustice in Charlottesville. About 60 community members attended the event, hosted in First Baptist Church.


News

Sullivan ouster mirrors ODU dismissal

Rector Helen Dragas’ history with firing presidents runs deeper than her botched ouster of President Teresa Sullivan this June. While serving on the Old Dominion Board of Visitors in 1988, her father George Dragas helped force the resignation of President Joseph Marchello citing poor communication with the Board and a general unease with the executive’s management style, according to news reports at the time. Marchello, an accomplished fundraiser, drew praise for his ideas but did not have a positive relationship with the state’s legislators.


News

Sec. Duncan reinstates Virginia Tech fine

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week reinstated a fine against Virginia Tech for failing to notify students in a timely manner about the 2007 campus massacre. Then-undergraduate Seung-Hui Cho shot two Virginia Tech students in the early morning before going on to kill 32 individuals in total.


News

ID law to delay results

A Virginia voter identification law set to take effect this fall will likely have a limited effect on the election’s outcome, pundits say.


News

DNC features youth issues

The Democratic National Convention kicked off last night from Charlotte, N.C. with appeals to youth voters who will likely prove central to the political conversation in the coming weeks. Kal Penn, comedian, former White House staffer and the DNC’s host, earned a prime-time spot last night to encourage young adults to get out and vote.


News

Romney skirts Virginia visit

GOP supporters expecting to listen to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speak at a political rally at Richmond International Airport Friday were likely disappointed when only his second-in-command, vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan, addressed them.


News

State extends bonus to faculty

University faculty are eligible to receive a three percent bonus from the state of Virginia with their November paychecks this year, University Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Susan Carkeek announced Tuesday.


Transcript
News

President stresses voter participation at Charlottesville rally

More than 7,500 Barack Obama supporters flooded the Downtown Mall Wednesday afternoon to see the president speak at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion. Obama covered a breadth of campaign issues, including the economy, his signature health care bill, the war in Afghanistan and gay marriage in a speech meant to appeal to the same kinds of young voters who in 2008 flocked to the polls in large numbers to propel him to victory.


	The Jefferson Area Tea Party staged a counter-rally at Lee Park near the site of Obama’s speech Wednesday afternoon to denounce the president’s policies.
News

Local Tea Party gathers

Hours before President Barack Obama addressed a crowd gathered on the Downtown Mall Wednesday afternoon, the Jefferson Area Tea Party staged a rally a couple streets away to show Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s commitment to the youth vote.


	Delegates at the Republican National Convention await Tuesday evening’s speeches in Tampa. The convention was postponed one day after Hurricane Isaac caused heavy winds in the area.
News

RNC kicks off following delay

The Republican National Convention kicked off without a hitch in Tampa yesterday — one day after events were postponed because of Hurricane Isaac’s movements in the Southeast. Only minor adjustments have been required since the convention was rescheduled, said fourth-year College student Alex Reber, the chair of Student Council’s representative body, who attended the event as an alternate delegate.


	President Barack Obama’s last visit to Charlottesville in 2010 cost the city an estimated $15,000 to $20,000. Former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Albemarle) campaign agreed to cover the cost.
News

City prepares for POTUS

The City of Charlottesville underwent massive preparations to accommodate President Barack Obama’s campaign stop in the City Wednesday.


News

U.Va. rejects Obama visit

President Barack Obama will not speak on Grounds Wednesday after the University declined his campaign’s request last week, saying it would cause an “extraordinary disruption” to the second day of classes.

Latest Video

Latest Podcast

Ahead of Lighting of the Lawn, Riley McNeill and Chelsea Huffman, co-chairs of the Lighting of the Lawn Committee and fourth-year College students, and Peter Mildrew, the president of the Hullabahoos and third-year Commerce student, discuss the festive tradition which brings the community together year after year. From planning the event to preparing performances, McNeil, Huffman and Mildrew elucidate how the light show has historically helped the community heal in the midst of hardship.